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'THE   YANKEE   ABROAD" 

(COPYRIGHT,    1917,    BY    JOHN    N.    CHESTER) 

This  poem  by  Eugene  Field  was  written  at 
the  time  of  his  visit  to  London  in  February, 
1890,  and  is  indorsed  in  Field's  handwriting, 
"  Never  published."  So  closely  has  the  man 
uscript  been  guarded  since  the  author's  death 
that  up  to  the  present  time  very  few  persons 
are  aware  of  its  existence.  The  original  man 
uscript  (herein  reproduced  in  facsimile,  pre 
cisely  the  same  size  as  originally  written)  is 
owned  by  one  of  our  members,  Mr.  John  N. 
Chester,  of  Pittsburgh,  who  has  kindly  consented 
to  allow  a  few  copies  to  be  issued  to  the  mem 
bers  of  The  Bibliophile  Society. 

It  is  singularly  appropriate  that  this  MS. 
should  have  come  to  light  at  a  time  when 
patriotic  feelings  have  been  stirred  by  our  par 
ticipation  in  the  present  world-wide  war. 


[3] 


M67701 


THE   YANKEE   ABROAD 

Though  one  may  be  sure 

Of  a  sense  he's  secure 

So  long  as  his  record  be  open  and  pure, 

It  is  better  to  be 

Both  honest  like  me 

And  born  of  the  home  of  the  brave  and  the  free. 

For,  go  where  I  may 

In  my  wandering  way, 

I  give  little  heed  to  whatever  folks  say; 

And  wherever  I  am, 

I  don't  care  a  - 

For  I  know  I'm  a  nephew  of  Old  Uncle  Sam! 

If  sometimes  I  choose 
To  meander  the  rues 

Where  Johnny  Crapeaud  a  la  mode  parley- voos, 
My  wild  wooly  way 
Is  regarded  au  fait, 

And  seldom  I  deign  to  remark  "see  voo  play;" 
When  they  caper  and  smile, 
(Though  intent,  all  the  while, 
In  wheedling  the  stranger  unused  to  their  guile), 

[5] 


I  see  through  the  sham, 

But  I  don't  care  a  - 

Would  you,  if  a  nephew  of  cher  1'Oncle  Sam? 

I've  bragged  of  my  home- 
In  the  Kremlin's  dull  dome- 
The  meetin'  house  rounds  have  I  traversed  in 

Rome; 

In  Spain  have  I  seen 
What  we  need  to  keep  clean - 
They  make  it,  not  use  it  (it's  soap  that  I  mean ! ) ; 
I've  squandered  a  fund  on 
The  bookshops  in  London 
The  "banks"  and  the  "brays"  of  the  Scotch 

have  I  punned  on- 
Yet  so  loyal  I  am 
That  I'd  not  give  a  - 
For  all  as  against  our  dear  Uncle  Sam! 

This  stomach  of  mine 

Has  been  warmed  with  the  wine 

That  grows  with  the  pretzel  in  realms  of  the 

Rhine; 

Been  robbed  of  its  ease 
By  the  compounds  that  please 
The  Welchman  addicted  to  rarebits  of  cheese; 
I've  skated  in  Poland 
And  waded  Dutch  lowland, 

[6] 


And  yet   I'm  prepared  to  maintain  there's  no 

land 

You'd  call  worth  a  - 
If  you  are  (as  /  am) 
A  patriot  nephew  of  old  Uncle  Sam. 

EUGENE  FIELD 
London,  Feb.  22,  1890. 


[7] 


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